(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What quality does a system have when it performs its intended function without unauthorized manipulation?

1. System Integrity

2. System Security

3. System Availability

4. System Confidentiality

The correct answer is: System Integrity

The quality of a system that allows it to perform its intended function without unauthorized manipulation is referred to as system integrity. This concept highlights the importance of maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data over its entire life cycle. System integrity ensures that information remains unaltered and trustworthy, thus enabling the system to operate as intended without interference from malicious actors. When assessing system integrity, one evaluates how well the system can resist unauthorized changes, whether those changes involve data corruption, manipulation by external entities, or insider threats that could alter system functions. This quality ties closely to mechanisms such as access controls, data validation, and auditing, which are all designed to preserve the integrity of the system. System security is a broader term that encompasses protecting the entire system against unauthorized access and threats, which could include integrity but also involves confidentiality and availability. System availability ensures that the system is operational and accessible when needed, while system confidentiality focuses on protecting sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. Each of these qualities plays a critical role in cybersecurity, but when specifically discussing the ability to perform intended functions free from manipulation, system integrity is the most fitting choice.